Buckle.



No. 819,180. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906 E. M. SOUTHWIGK. BUCKLE.

.KODEI nruouzon FILED BUY. 8, 1899.

W1 zwzissss- [NVENTOR Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. SUU'HWICK, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSET'IS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE A. WELD. OF WINCHESTER, MASSACHUSE'IIS.

- sucxLs.

Specification of Lettsrs Patent.

Yatented may 1, 1906.

Applicntionliad Kiwanis 8.3.889. Berk] No; 738,260

n4 whom it may concern.-

WICK, of Worcester, in the counts" of Worcestor and State of Massachusetts, have invent- 5. 0d cortain ncw and useful Improvements in Ifmcklos, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention consists of a buckle having crrtain novel features of construction on io.arrangomont whmh I shall now proceed to dvsvriho and claim.

l i l i Oftho accompanying drawings, forming a part of this siwclfication, Figure I'm-presents a buckle constructed in accordaner with my invention. Fig. 2 rvprrsvnts in-n vdgc or side ohwation thrroof. Fig. 3 "rrprcscnt-s a rover-so plan view. Fig. 4 reproscnts a soction on hm- -l 4 of Fig. 1.

, roprrsonts a similar virw to F ig. 4, with the jaws of the buckle, oponod out. Fig. 6 roprosontsa sovtional view-of the hurklo attached to a base and gripping a strap. Fig. 7 reprrsvnts a similar view to Fig. 5, showing a slight modification. Fi Sroprrsonts a rena-so plan viow of a modified form of buckle. Fig. 9 roprosmits a. section on iinr '9 9 of Fig.

8. Figs. 10 and I1 roproscnt plan and sectional views of anothor lflOtllllO-(l form of buckle.

a plan viow o Th0 sumo referom'o charactors ind icato tho same arts in all the ligurvs. Re orring to the drawings, 1 designatrs aframe composcd of two sidr lMHS 3 3 and three cross-bars 4, 5, and (i, joinin said sido 5 burs. Two cars 7 7 are turned d own from the side bars 3 between the cross-bars 5 and 6, and to said cars is pivotvd at 1h a tougur or jaw 12, coluposvd, as horvin shown, of wire hontj to form two sido portions S b and a 0 transvorsoor strap-crossing portion 9 at right angles with the said Sll'lt" portions; Tho portions 8 of tho tongiuor jaw 2 iii innit-month the frame 1, and said jaw is ln-nt or ourvod u wardlv at. :r, bringing tho portion 9 slightly 5 a uwc thr dam: of tho said portionsS and suhstnntiallfv intho rhino of said frame, as shown in tin sido and sortional virws. Tho portion 4 of tho frame 1 prcsonts an rdgo jaw adoptvd tocoiipolnlr wlth tho portion 0 of tho jaw or tongnc 2 lo gripor pinch tho strap hot-worn t-luun, tho rurvrd portion .1 prrmilthig'sai'd tougur to yiold rvlativvly to said portion 4.

'ihr l'raiuv vdgo jaw 4 and the jaw 9 of tho Fig. 5

n 7 7 tongue 2 do not, over1ap-that is; on does Be it known that I, EDWARD M. SOUTH- not lie on the other at an time-but when in operative gripping rsl iltion the part 9 passes or snaps somewhat beyond the part 4, as shown in Pigs. 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 11.

In Figs. 6 and 7, 13 represents, base or strap end, to which the buckle is attached, and 12 represents the strap which is gripped by the buckle. In Fig. 6 the strap and 13 is attached to the buckle by being passed below the cross-bar 6 on the fram 1 and folded around the cross-bai- 5 and secured upon itsoil'. The base' 13 inay, ho .ve\ 'er, be at.- tached to the gripping cross-bar 4, as shown inFig. 'i', the crossbar 5 being omitted. Exrcpt for the omission of the cross-bar 5 the construction of the buckle shown in Fig. 7 is the some as in Fig. 4 and operates in the Slllui 11y.

In Figs. 1 and 2 itwill be seen that the cross part or bar 9 of=tho jaw 3 is bontorunduhitrd from ond to end. The bar 9 is bent away from tho bar 4 atlO 10 near its ends and also at, its middlv 1], thereby leaving free spaces bohind said points brtwosn the bar 9 and the edge of tho bar 4. The spaces at the ends may be incroa sod by cutting away the edge of tho bar 4 at; or near its ends behind the mints 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Tho bomiin" or undulation of the cross-bar 9 has a douhlh function. It adds springinoss or oiasticity to tho jaw 12, onabiin the bar 9 to spring away {ruin the edge of tlio Bar 4 in passing the lattor, thus adapting the buckle or use with straps of somewhat dill'oront thivknoss, and it. also provides free spaces hvtwvvn tho strangripping portions of the jaws to acconunodato sou-ins or thickened portions in the straps upon which the buckle l5 usod. The straps at. tho hacks of trousers tllt' ordinarily proridod with scams on their shit ttlgta, whivh t'i'ndrr tho 'od 'c portions pf tho strnp'thirkor than thr middloortions. In applying the huvklo to straps of tis char actor i! is r-Yidrtll that tho said thickened or soanwd vdgrs of tho strap rould he mndobo mt'llp) thosparvs iwhind [ho bonds 10 when tluhm'klo is ('iustd on the strap,th actual gripping living dour against tho thinncr part, of tho strap. Yrst -straps arr irrqucntl mado with a scam down tho router, whioi st-am would ho acoommodapal in tho space llt'llllltl tho middlr lwnd l l.

Tho rross-hars 4 and J arc brought subv relation'to the frame v, 2 is previded'with a roll 22, consisting of a yl ndrical sheath or sleeve loose] I close and the ,bite increases,

' tated and, conversely the opening of the 59 buekle h thickness of the stantiall together between the bend 11 and the hen s 10, the distance separating them when closed being regulated according to the straps upon which the buckle is to be used. Spnnginess may also be imparted to the tongue or jaw 2 in order to enable it to assume the roper strap-gripping go 4 to grasp a strap havin a different thickness from that representef in Fig. 6 by bending or undulating-the side bars of said aw 2, as indicated at 14 14 in 8 and 9. 8 also shows the middle bend of the bar 9 and the cut-away portions of the bent omitted.v I

With a buckle constructed as above explained it is not necessary to serrate either of the strap-gripping portions of the jaws in order to o tain a firm gri on the strap.

It will be observ that in the buckles shown in Figs. 1 to 9 it is necessary to limit the closing movement of the jaws at a point where they are instrap-gripping' relation to each other. This is done b merel ing coacting abutmentson t two aws. In the buckles described this is accomplished by havingthe side bars 8 of the under aw 2 pass underneath the side bars-of the frame 1 in such manner that the curved portion a: comes into engagement with the forward edges of said latter sidebars as the the strap-gripping relation. 7

10 and 11 a buckle is illustrated in which t e 'aws arefrelated ractically the same as int 0 form illustrate in Figs. 1 to 6, but in which the cross-bar 9 on the under jaw surroundsaid cross-bar. In this case t e cross-bar 9 orms a bearing or support for the roll and acts through' the medium of the roll to grip the strap. The edge of the frame I engages one side of the strap and moves it as the jaws while on the other side the roll 22 revolves around the cross-bar 9 and presents a rollin abutment he closing jaws to an extremely tight holding relation with the strap is thereby greatly facilito release its old on the strap is eased. In this form the'cross-bar is shown at 5 as a divided or two-part bar to which the strap end is attached.

. In each of the forms shown the frame is 5i provided with means to which one end of the cross-bar 6, which is 13 my be connected and with another above the plane of the attached endof the strap. The opposing or grip ing jaws constitute what may be for con mence referred tie as the front of the buckle, while the cross-bar 6 is at the rear of the buckle or frame The location of the' cross bar 6 as describhd rovides a space hetween said cross-bar an the portion of thel a downward pressure providjaws close into.

strap which extehds rearwardly from the cross-bar 5. When the free and 12 of the strap after assing between the jawsis Missed under said ar 6, so as to occupy or ii i said s ace, the jaws cannot become accidentally replaced or disengaged because of any pressure exerted upon the said bar 6. This is because the s ace between the bar 6 and the strap 13 is led out by the strap end. Therefore when such space is so occupied the bar 6 cannot be pressed down, so as to lift the part and disengage the strap at the gripping-jaws; but when the free'end of the strap 1s removed from said spacinso as to leave the space free upon said bar 6 will throw the jaws 9 and 4 out of their gripping relation by raising the jaw 4, the frame rocking on the pivotal point of the frame and ton 'e, said pivotal point being in front of the ar 6; but when the strap-gripping portions 4 and 9 have been snapped slightly past each other into strap-gri ping relation and when the free end of t e strap has been tucked into the space below the cross-bar 6 it prevents the depression of the bar 6, and thus olds'and maintains the gripping'relation of the arts 4 and 9.

hf; invention includes a construction in which .the buckle is provided with a strapend-attaching member having such a osition relatively to the hinged point andt e grippin -point as to cause a pulling movement on sai' member to close the jaws to their strapgripping relation. In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, the construction is such that when the jaws are moving toward and to their strapgripping relation an upward pull is exerted on t e portion 9 of the tongue or jaw 2 and a downward pull on the bar 5 of frame 1, said bar 5 constituting the strap-end-attaching member of the buckle shown in said figures. In other words, when the strap end 18 is connected, as shown in Fig. 6, and a strap 12 is introduced to be gripped and the parts move from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 6, a pull upon the straps 12 and 13 in o )posite directions or apart from each other will tend to exert an upward pull on the portion 9 of onejaw and a downward ull .wi 1 be exertedon the cross-bar 4 of the uckle,owing to the pull of the strap 13 on the bar 5. I j

I l. A buckle comprising a frame having an ed e, and a tongue pivotedthereto at a point he ow the plane of the frame, said edge and tongue presentin opposing aws formed to bite. one part 0 an interposed stri said frame ed e and tongue being relative y proportione and connected to bite the strip part without overlapping, a portion of said rame constituting a stop to limit the movement of the tongue so as to permit the jaw thereof to 

